Here is the launch edition of UMECS-Uganda's Journal of Peace Education and Guidance & Counseling which provides articles, pictures and stories of how Peace Education and Guidance & Counseling Program in Secondary Schools in Northern Uganda was developed and implemented.

Thank you for your moving comments, and thank you all for sharing your inspirational work on the ground, and for linking peace to so many areas, programs and activities. One of the great outcomes of the World Vision Peace Prize process is that all who are participating as nominees and providing comments have had the opportunity to learn about each organization’s work and impacts. This builds increased global solidarity to build peaceful communities, heal and restore those affected by violence and war and work to prevent future wars. Thank you all for your good and valuable work.

World Vision, too, deserves significant recognition for its long term, consistent and successful advocacy, prayerful work and activities to end the violence of war and to end child soldiering while tangibly addressing the needs of former child combatants and children affected by war. During the protracted war in Northern Uganda, World Vision was on the front lines to rehabilitate and reintegrate former child soldiers. Moreover, World Vision continues to advocate for the needs of millions of people who were displaced and affected by this war. World Vision’s long time regional and global commitment to peace makes the peacebuilding and peacemaking prizes that much more meaningful.

In sharing a few pictures from UMECS-Uganda’s peacebuilding work in the attachment, it is hoped this provides more details about Peace Education and Guidance & Counseling Program in Secondary Schools in Northern Uganda. This program is helping to build cultures of peace to prevent new wars, build peaceful schools and communities and provide the guidance and counseling needs of children and youth affected by war. This program has trained over 2000 youth as peer mediators and peer counselors with groundbreaking results which include the eradication of bullying, improved academic performance, extensive healing from the trauma of conflict and an environment of nonviolence. This program is partnered with the Ministry of Education and Sports and is in process of mainstreaming throughout the Uganda secondary school and teacher training systems.

May the blessed work of all the nominees prosper and grow and build lasting and sustainable peace in every heart, in every community, everywhere and forevermore.